Maintenance Reliability Engineer

Bekaert; Exeter Township (Berks County); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Bekaert is seeking a Reliability Engineer to enhance equipment performance and lifecycle value. This role involves analyzing failures, optimizing maintenance strategies, and supporting plant operations with reliability engineering methods.

Applicants should have a background in Engineering with experience in reliability and maintenance. Bekaert values diversity and promises an inclusive work environment.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in maintenance or reliability engineering.
• Strong knowledge of RCFA and predictive maintenance techniques.
• Experience with spare parts management and maintenance data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Analyze maintenance data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Lead Root Cause Failure Analysis sessions.
• Define maintenance strategies based on asset criticality.

Skills

Structured problem-solving

Strong communication

Hands-on and shopfloor-oriented

Coaching and influencing teams

Long-term thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Equivalent experience

Tools

SAP PM

EAM/CMMS systems

Job description

As the world and the way people live is changing, we at Bekaert believe it’s our responsibility to contribute to finding new solutions for the future. With a 140+ year old heritage of excellence, innovation, and a future-focused mindset, we strive to create value for our customers and society. We aim to do this through innovative solutions and sustainable practices. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of steel wire transformation and coatings whilst also leveraging our expertise to develop innovative solutions with new materials and services in a safe, smart, and sustainable way. Our focus extends to markets such as new mobility, low-carbon construction, and green energy.

As a dynamic and growing company with over 19 000 employees worldwide, 75 nationalities, a retention rate above 90% and € 3,7 billion in combined revenue in 2025, we are looking for someone like you to join our team as we continue to shape a safer, more efficient, and connected world!

Purpose and Mission

The Reliability Engineer strengthens equipment performance and lifecycle value by analyzing failures, creating and optimizing maintenance programs, managing critical spare parts, and supporting the plant with structured reliability engineering methods. The role combines analytical capabilities with shopfloor engagement and cross-functional collaboration. A key responsibility is to manage the plant’s asset portfolio through a structured Long-Term Asset Planning (LTAP) process, ensuring the right investments are made at the right time to secure long-term operational performance.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

1. Reliability Improvement & Failure Analysis

• Analyze maintenance data to identify trends, recurring failures, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) sessions and ensure timely implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
• Coach the maintenance team to integrate root cause thinking into their daily routines.
• Provide troubleshooting support to operations for urgent, chronic, or high-risk equipment reliability issues, including participation in emergency work reviews.

2. Maintenance Strategy Optimization

• Define the preferred maintenance strategies for installed assets based on criticality ranking.
• Facilitate optimization of wrench time for preventive maintenance activities and eliminate non-value-added tasks.
• Define and continuously improve optimized maintenance plans for each equipment type, including:
  • Lubrication tasks
  • Preventive tasks
  • Predictive/condition monitoring tasks
  • Failure-finding tasks for protective devices
• Coordinate and drive FMECA sessions for critical equipment and ensure follow-up of the agreed actions.

3. Spare Parts & Component Reliability

• Support the spare parts team in defining and optimizing stock levels, including identification of strategic and critical spare parts.
• Follow up on technical trials of spare or process parts from alternative suppliers, qualities, or redesigned components.
• Ensure structured technical feedback is provided to engineering design owners and external companies.
• Lead and maintain the Long-Term Asset Planning (LTAP) process for the plant.
• Evaluate asset condition, risks, lifecycle stages, and investment needs to build a robust multi-year asset replacement and upgrade plan.
• Prioritize actions and investments based on risk, reliability impact, cost, and alignment with company standards.
• Provide clear reliability-based input for annual budget cycles and long-term Capex forecasting.
• Provide reliability engineering support to Capex projects from early concept through commissioning.
• Ensure new equipment meets reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle-cost expectations.
• Translate field experience and reliability insights into equipment specifications and design improvements.

Skills

• Structured problem-solving and analytical mindset
• Strong communication and workshop facilitation abilities
• Hands-on and shopfloor-oriented
• Ability to coach and influence teams
• Long-term thinking with strong prioritization skills

Previous Experience

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, Electrical, Electromechanical, or Industrial Engineering (or equivalent through experience).
• 3–5 years of experience in maintenance, reliability engineering, or asset management in an industrial environment.
• Strong knowledge of RCFA, FMECA, predictive maintenance techniques, and reliability tools.
• Experience with spare parts management and maintenance data analysis.
• Knowledge of SAP PM or similar EAM/CMMS systems.
• Strong analytical and facilitation skills with the ability to engage cross-functional teams.

Qualifications and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field.

Be bold and take the leap!

We're looking for individuals who are not afraid to take risks and explore new ideas. If you are passionate about personal growth and bringing your authentic self to work, we want you on our team!

At Bekaert, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.